Christian bkenneman



gems V tetra gaunt ffice.

CHRISTIAN BRENNEMAN, OF ORRVILLE, OHIO.

Letters Patent No. 71,272, dated November 26, 1867. v

IMPROVEMENT IN CATTLE-GUARD FOR RAILWAYS.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: I

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN BRENNEMAN, of Orrville, in the county of Wayne, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Cattle-Guard for Railways; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, of which drawings- Figiire 1 is a plan of my new cattle-guard, and

Figure 2 is a side view of the same.

The nature of my invention consists in the peculiar arrangement of two elastic gates, which, when in their ordinary position, prevent cattle, or stock of any kind, from going up the track, and at the sametime are so arranged as to be opened by the action of a passing train, and will close, byreason of their elasticity, as soon as the train has passed. 7 i

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

Two ties, C O, are extended for some distance beyond the rails F F, and in these ties are placed the'posts A A, B B, which are made in the form shown. The gates D D are made of steel, or any other suitable elastic material, and of the form shown in drawings. The parts E E E E of these gates D D pass around the posts A A, B B, and serve to hold the gates in an erect position, and to guide its motion while opening and shutting. Metal rings, a a a a. are placed on the posts A A, B B, at such a'height as to enable the gates D D to work clear of the rails F F, and the gates D D slide on these rings in opening and shutting. If desirable, these rings might be replaced by small rollers, on which the gates should move, which would make the gates work more easily.

, The operationof my cattle-guard is as follows: It is evident that when thegates D D are in the position shown in drawings, no cattle can pass up the track. If a train be coming in the direction indicated by arrow, the action of said train forces these elastic gates into the position D D, or far enough back towards such position to allow of the passing of the train. When the train has passed through, the elasticity of the gates causes them to assume the original positions D D, and the guard is thus closed. The tie K, at the centre of the guard, is extended, and stop-posts, H H, are inserted therein, which prevent the gates D D from being forced too far back by the sudden action of the train, and thus tend to prevent the breaking of thegates.

.Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1'. The elastic gates D D, constructed and used substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

2. The guide-posts AA, B B, and stop-posts H H, when used in connection with the elastic gates D D, substantially in the manner and for the. purpose specified.

As evidence that I claim the foregoing, I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

- CHRISTIAN BRENNEMAN.

Witnesses:

, C. L. CLARK, A. E. CLARK. 

